Programs

Feeder Calves

Utilizing various marketing venues, The Choctaw Nation markets several of its calves – primarily steers – to outside entities. All calves are individually identified, and most are paired back to their dam to collect production information for future decision-making.

A robust herd health program provides each calf with preventative, passive, and active protection against clostridium bacteria, common bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and other bacterial and viral attacks. During the weaning process, calves are vaccinated with both a primary and booster, double wormed (as advised by our consulting veterinarian) and, if possible, fence-line weaned to minimize stress and acclimate to feed/water.

All calves are pre-conditioned for a minimum of 60 days before marketing to ensure both the health and well-being of the calf and the success of the respective buyer. We work hard to implement the progressive herd health, genetic selection and management practices which allow our calves to perform within any sector of the industry, whether owned by us or anyone else.

Heifer Development

The Choctaw Nation takes great pride in our heifer development program due to its importance, through genetic progress, to the future success of our cattle program. We select all sires to meet fundamental maternal and paternal characteristics, with specific selection emphasis given to moderate female mature weight.

Actual weights for all breeding females are taken twice a year to not only properly monitor this important characteristic, but also to establish a baseline for targeted breeding weights for all yearling heifers.

Before breeding, potential replacement females are developed on–pasture and fed a moderate amount of feed to ensure a positive plane of nutrition. We implement estrous synchronization, timed artificial insemination, succinct breeding season length, and robust clean-up bull selection to result in a low–stress and shortened calving interval, allowing for optimal second–calf breed-back.

During AI breeding, all females with problematic reproductive tracts are culled at the discretion of our consulting veterinarian. We strive to make selections based on easy fleshing and environmentally adapted females which will produce a calf that can perform in any sector of the industry. Currently, all replacements are kept back, but in time, we hope to produce bred females for the external market, as well.

Choctaw Beef

It’s true what they say: hard work pays off, and we are thrilled to see how much our hard work at Choctaw Ranches is paying off. We’re proud to be recognized as providing the highest quality beef in the area. So much so, we are now the official beef provider for exceptional quality restaurants and facilities such as Reba’s Place, and we proudly support local schools of Coalgate and Atoka with Choctaw ground beef.